The Federation of Youth Clubs (FYC) has given the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) a 30-day ultimatum to resume work on the open drain that divides Nima and Mamobi.
A statement signed by the President, FYC, Mr Abdul Rashid Hafis, said “in a matter of 30 days, if we do not have any positive response to this call or see the resumption of work on the drain, we the members of the federation will advise ourselves.”
The statement said the gaping trench, which was also known as the “Alhamdu gutter,” had opened up into people’s homes and had resulted in the collapse of some of those nearby.
It said the situation endangered the lives of the residents, since the houses could collapse on them.
The statement, therefore, called on all the state authorities and people involved in the project to explain the cause of the suspension of the work and start work without any further delays.
“We are calling on those who matter in the construction of the “Alhamdu gutter,” particularly the members of Parliament for both East and North Ayawaso and the contractor, to come and tell us the measures they are putting in place to make sure that the work on the drain continues and is completed in good time.
According to the statement, since the FYC’s inception in 2002, it has sought to harmonise the effort of all groups and individuals within the East and North Ayawaso constituencies towards achieving the development of the youth in particular and that of the general community at large.
The statement recalled that the “Alhamdu gutter” project was awarded on contract in 2010 by the late President John Evans Atta Mills and was to be completed within two years, according to the contract documents.
“We witnessed the sod cutting with excitement, little did we know that we were going to come to this, with only about 30 per cent of the work done.
“Events which have taken place since the award of the contract to date leave much to be desired and the community has been left helpless in all these.
The statement noted that recently, a cross-section of the youth who lived very close to the open drain and whose lives were most threatened by the current state of the drain decided to voice out their frustrations, thinking that there would be some form of positive response from the authorities.
“Rather, they had to suffer at the law court for staging an illegal demonstration,” it said.